2 syllables: fa, bles. Stress on fa.
FAY-buhlz
/ˈfeɪbəlz/
fables is pronounced FAY-buhlz (/ˈfeɪbəlz/). It has two syllables (fa-bles), with the stress on "fa". Fables are short, didactic stories that convey moral lessons, often featuring anthropomorphic characters. The plural form refers to multiple such stories or a genre of folklore. In common usage, it can describe tales with clear morals, typically concise and crafted to illustrate a point about human behavior.
Fables are short, didactic stories that convey moral lessons, often featuring anthropomorphic characters. The plural form refers to multiple such stories or a genre of folklore. In common usage, it can describe tales with clear morals, typically concise and crafted to illustrate a point about human behavior.
- You may over-articulate the second syllable, turning /bəl/ into /bə.l/, which disrupts rhythm. Keep it light: /ˈfeɪ.bəlz/. - The final /z/ is voiced; some beginners mistakenly use /s/; ensure your vocal folds vibrate by placing the tongue near the alveolar ridge and keeping lips relaxed. - In rapid speech, the /ə/ may vanish; aim for a quick, neutral vowel rather than elimination, so the word remains recognizable. - Mismatching stress in sentence: remember the primary stress remains on FA-. - Misplacing the /l/ as a separate vowel; keep it as a light /l/ between /b/ and /z/.
"The village library hosts a collection of fables from various cultures."
"She studies fables to understand cultural lessons embedded in folklore."
"Many educators use fables to teach ethics to children."
Pronounce as two syllables: /ˈfeɪ.bəlz/. The first syllable has a long a as in 'face' and carries the primary stress. The second syllable is a schwa /ə/ followed by /lz/, where the /l/ is light and the /z/ is voiced. Tip: avoid a hard 's' at the end; the final sound is a voiced
Common errors include lengthening the first vowel too much or turning the second syllable into a clear 'bell' or 'buhl' instead of a weak /ə/. Some speakers mispronounce the final /z/ as /s/ or ignore the final z altogether. Focus on keeping /ə/ short and ensuring the final /z/ is voiced with relaxed lips. Practice with minimal pairs like /ˈfeɪ.bəl/ vs /ˈfeɪ.bulz/ to hear the difference.
In US and UK, the initial /feɪ/ diphthong is consistent, with /əlz/ variants: US tends to a slightly darker /əl/ and a stronger /z/; UK often edges toward a shorter /əl/ and crisper /z/. Australian tends to a broader /æ/ influence only if connected speech occurs, but in careful speech remains /ˈfeɪ.bəlz/. Overall, rhoticity does not affect /feɪ/ or /bəlz/ here, but vowel quality and syllable reduction shift slightly with rhythm.
Two main challenges: the weak second syllable /əl/ with a subtle schwa, and the final voiced /z/ which requires relaxed voicing and lip positioning to avoid turning into /s/. The transition from /b/ to /əl/ can feel abrupt; maintaining clear syllable boundary helps. Also, when speaking quickly, the vowelless /əl/ can reduce toward a quick /l/ or disappear; slow down to keep the /ə/ audible.
In connected speech, you often naturally reduce /ə/ and slightly accelerate: /feɪ.bəlz/ can sound like /feɪ.bəlz/ with a near-syllable break. A natural listener cue is the minor, almost imperceptible vowel before the final z; keep it light. The stress remains on the first syllable even in fast speech, ensuring the word retains its two-syllable rhythm within a sentence.
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- US: rhotics are pronounced; /ˈfeɪ.bəlz/ with a clear /ɹ/ not present here; in US speech, place more energy on the /eɪ/ and keep /əl/ compact. - UK: non-rhotic; /ˈfeɪ.bəlz/ with slightly tighter /ə/ and crisper /l/; less vowel lengthening before final consonant. - AU: similar to UK in non-rhoticity; expect more relaxed vowel reduction in casual speech; maintain voicing on final z in careful speech.
Fables comes from the Latin fabula, meaning 'a tale, story, or fiction,' from which we derive fabularius and fabulae. The term entered English via Old French fable and Medieval Latin fabulus, evolving to the plural fables by adding the standard English plural -s. The earliest senses in English referred broadly to any story, but by the 15th–16th centuries the word narrowed in usage to short didactic stories, often with animals, designed to teach a lesson. Throughout classical and early modern periods, fables were closely linked with moral instruction and entertainment, with notable exemplars from Aesop and La Fontaine shaping the canon. The word’s semantic drift reflects a pedagogy of storytelling: from mere entertainment to a didactic literary form. Today, fables commonly denote brief tales that illustrate moral truths, and the term spans both ancient oral traditions and modern literary adaptations.
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Words that rhyme with "fables"
-les sounds
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